


The colours of the sky

by Noire12



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Lora Lavellan, Solas - Freeform, Solavellan, lavellan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28690545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noire12/pseuds/Noire12
Summary: “It is breathtaking, is it not?” Solas murmured, breaking the silence. He turned to face Lora as she still watched the sky.“Hmm?” she hummed. “Yes, it is.”“And you saved it, Ashilora.”Lora turned to him. “Saved what?”“The sky.”She chuckled, waving a hand at Solas in dismissal. “You give me too much credit.”Sadness swept through him, for she could not realise how much she meant for this world, for him. The wonders she did impressed everyone, except her. She remained as humble as in the first day they met. With his fingers, he brushed the marron strands of hair obscuring her eyes and smiled at her.
Relationships: Female Lavellan/Solas, Lavellan/Solas (Dragon Age), solavellan - Relationship
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	The colours of the sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vulpeculara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vulpeculara/gifts).



> This is my Satinalia present for Vulpeculara. I hope you had fun reading it, my friend. I truly enjoyed writing about Lora, she is such a lovely Lavellan.

Lora Lavellan frowned from her place on the couch as muffled shouts reverberated from the hallway and interrupted her reading. It took a moment for the Inquisitor to notice the yelling, at first, too absorbed by Leliana's reports. The Venatori continued to be a problem for the Inquisition, and now the scouts finally acquired the necessary information to locate their stronghold in the Hissing Wastes.

She sat on the couch, in the safety of her private quarters, away from any intruder, enjoying the rare moment of solitude Skyhold offered. The fire crackled amicably in the chimney, warming the sizable room she owned. She preferred to work in here, far off from any prying eyes. The quietness of solitude brought her peace and serenity. And now, the shouts shattered the stillness. Lora squeezed her eyes and hoped the owners of those heated voices would stop soon, but as minutes passed, it became clear they would not cease to disturb the whole castle.

She abandoned the comfort of her spot and paced around the room, in an attempt to ignore the shoutings. She urged her mind to stay put and focus on the words, but the heated voices proved troublesome to ignore. 

As she shuffled around, she began reading the report out loud to memorize the crucial information and coordinates, but with no success. The voices rose above her voice, and the words jumbled and mixed in a ridiculous racket. Lora shook her head and gave up on reading. If the voices' owners were this furious, then it had to be an essential matter, one that required her attention. Still, instead of making her way towards the hallway, Lora stood silent, arms hanging around her body, fingers clutching the papers.

No matter how many times she had to broker peace with angry people, it never became more manageable. As the Inquisitor, she had the duty to choose the best outcome, but it took a tremendous toll on her. She laid awake many nights, contemplating the events and hoping she took the right choice. Now she had to decide again: stay here until Leliana or Josephine solve the matter, put all the responsibility on their shoulders, or take a stand and do her duty? 

Lora bit her lip, contemplating those choices. Fragments of sentences reached her ears, and her stomach clenched. Words like "mage", "abomination" and "knife ear" boomed in the silence of the morning. She pursed her lips to push away the anxiety and put on the leader's mask, the Inquisitor, hoping it will be sufficient to stop them.

With a heavy sigh, she abandoned the documents on the small table and left the safety of her room to investigate the events. She moved slowly, in no hurry to deal with the angry people, but this was the right choice. She had to stop this on her own. Lora doubted her sister would stroll around to clear the situation, as she left Skyhold a few hours ago with Iron Bull, to help the refugees in Hinterlands.

In the hallway, Leliana and Josephine faced an Orlesian noble. His mask glittered in the light filtered through the massive stained glass above the Inquisitor's throne. Judging from his attire's richness, Lora realized the man held significant titles, and for an unexplained reason, he yelled his displeasure with no control. She wondered what bothered him so much to make him neglect his manners.

"And now, three of my farms are ablaze, all because of your unqualified Inquisitors who decided to fraternize with abominations. I demand the culprit's head on a golden plate and reparation in full from the Inquisition." The Orlesian stomped his foot on the floor, and spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted. 

"We are sorry for your monetary loss, but you must understand that we cannot do as you ask," Josephine responded, in an attempt to appease him. "We do not know who--"

_ "You! _ " he yelled, spotting Lora stepping towards them. "It's  _ your _ fault, knife ear!  _ You _ did this, you and your band of heretics." He rushed at her; finger pointed in accusation.

Lora stopped in her tracks; eyes widened in surprise at his fierceness. She took a few steps back, bracing herself. The man's fury made her skin crawl. 

"Watch your mouth, Vicomte, you forget your place," Leliana growled at him, placing her hand on his shoulder to stop him from advancing. "You are speaking with the Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste. Show the due respect." 

"Her? The Herald of Andraste? A knife ear, a heretic, and _ a lover of abominations! _ " he yelled and spat on the floor. "I refuse to believe it. Our Lady is cursing us for declaring two bizarre women as her Champions. They are not my Heralds or my Inquisitors. I've heard rumours, Spymaster, about their incompetence and their circles. Their solutions will bring Thedas to ruin. Mages are running free because of them, killing anyone in their sight, burning houses and trespassing as they wish. I denounce them!"

Every passerby stopped and watched him in horror, his harsh words attracting offended gasps. 

Lora's jaw tensed at his defamation, the words hitting her strong. She had mostly gotten used to them at this point, but the accusation about `bringing Thedas to a ruin` worried her. Her mind beckoned for her to escape, to run from this man and let Leliana deal with everything, but she had to ignore her instincts. 

_ 'Be strong _ !  _ Show no weakness! ' _

She had to be strong like her mother taught her. Only by showing strength, she could help Thedas. She breathed in deeply, straightened her back and steadied herself. She had to look imposing, as a real Inquisitor would.

"My sincerest apologies for your loss, Vicomte," she answered, strolling towards him and waving at Leliana to let him go. "I imagine you have been under immense stress lately, but there is no need for such irrational behaviour. My sister and I helped not only the mages but the Templars, too. The Inquisition lends a helping hand to anyone in need, even to you.

"That being said,", she continued, frowning at the man before her, "we do not control what every mage and Templar do. We do not keep them, prisoners. Some of them went rogue and rejected our aid. We are not at fault for what an unknown mage did to you or your lands. And it has  _ nothing _ to do with me and my sister's race and with our companions. We never asked for you to call us Heralds of Andraste or for your worship. We are here merely to help. Did the mage kill anyone from your family or any of your workers?" 

"No," he replied sharply. 

"That is a relief. I doubt the Inquisition has the funds to compensate you for your loss, but Leliana can send a few of her scouts to try to track down the wrongdoer and bring them to justice. We will not kill them for burning your houses. They can work for you until they pay their debt to you. That is all." 

Lora waved her dismissal at Leliana, and she turned away, in a hurry to leave the sullen man. This situation made her body shudder; dealing with this kind of complications didn't suit her. Her sister would have done much better. 

"But--", the Vicomte started.

"You heard the Inquisitor," Leliana stopped him from talking. "Be thankful you are getting any help. Come, we need to talk."

Lora did not hear more of his response as the door to her room closed behind her with a hollow thud. Her shoulders dropped, finally able to breathe freely. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, but the angry face of the Vicomte did not leave her thoughts. His words echoed in her mind, and doubt shrouded her. What if he was right? What if she will bring ruin to Thedas? She opened her eyes once more, the contour of her room blurred by tears.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The croaks of Leliana's ravens blended with the murmurs of the ones reading in the library, establishing the reassuring flow Solas learned to appreciate as he worked at his desk. This rhythm usually never broke his focus, but today it irked him. He could not concentrate on the document in front of him, no matter how much he tried. 

He rubbed his face with a sigh and dropped the quill he held motionless in his hand for the last fifteen minutes. He had to write a complex and engaging report regarding the nature and the use of Veilfire, but his mind refused to stay on this subject. It repeatedly went back to Lavellan and the incident of this morning. He had heard it all, and while he trusted Lora to solve this dispute, the rude words troubled him.

The noise of the chair scraping on the floor startled the ravens above, but Solas barely heard them. He abandoned the work, hoping Leliana would accept his decision. Lora did not come to visit him today, and that concerned him. She always took her time to at least wave at him, even when busy. But today she did none of it, and he missed her. 

"Leaving already?" Dorian asked from above as he leaned on the railing, a book in his hand. "Abandoning your precious work so quickly? How unusual."

Solas shrugged and grabbed his coat from the wooden coat rack close to his desk. "Yes. There are more important matters that require my attention."

"Hmmm, indeed." Dorian hummed himself a witness of the shouting contest. "Good luck with it. "

"Thank you, Dorian."

Solas left the rotunda, hands clasped behind his back, forcing himself to keep a steady pace. His heart urged him to hurry, to walk faster, for his Vhenan might be upset, but his mind demanded he slowed down and paid attention to the surrounding people. As much as he loved and missed Lora, he did not wish to give the impression something was amiss. He had to keep a cool head. He distracted himself by counting his breaths and ignored his galloping heart.

Finally, after a few long minutes, he knocked at Lora's door, patiently waiting for her reply. More minutes passed by, and he wondered if she went to sleep. He knocked again, this time her voice making itself heard. 

He took another deep breath to steady himself. He found himself smiling at his eagerness to meet his love. He pushed the door opened, and the familiar scent of Lora tickled his nose, calming him instantaneously.

"It is I, Solas," he announced himself, "may I come in?" 

"You know you are always welcome here, _ Ma Falon _ ," Lora's voice came from above the stairs. "You don't have to ask for permission."

"I do know that," he acknowledged as he went up the few stairs to meet her ", but I do value your privacy, Ashilora, and Skyhold rarely allows you that. I do not want to intrude." 

She sat on the couch, squeezing a steaming mug in her hands, the fragrance of the lavender tea blending with the smokiness of the fire dancing in the chimney. She smiled at him, but Solas saw the sadness reflected in her golden-brown eyes. Her head dropped, and she stared back at the mug, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the cup harder. 

"I have missed you today," he murmured to capture her attention. 

She slowly lifted her head to face him again, eyes wide. "You did?" 

"I did," he confirmed and paused, his eye moving over her expression as if to memorize every line of her face. "Have you been inside all day?"

"Yes."

He suddenly held out his hand for her to take it. "Come! The sky is quite beautiful this evening."

They walked together towards the balcony, fingers intertwined, Lora's head barely reaching his shoulder. The afternoon sun bathed them in its tender light and flecks of snow fluttered, pushed by the frosty breeze. The tints of crimson and gold dribbled all over the clouds, staining them in warm tones. They stood there in silence, bathing in the beauty of the moment, hands never parting as they watched the sun hide behind the crest of the mountains, lilac-tinted grey replacing the tangerine-like colours. The first stars of the night flickered in the sky. 

"It is breathtaking, is it not?" Solas murmured, breaking the silence. He turned to face Lora as she still watched the sky.

"Hmm?" she hummed. "Yes, it is."

"And you saved it, Ashilora."

Lora turned to him. "Saved what?"

"The sky." 

She chuckled, waving a hand at Solas in dismissal. "You give me too much credit."

Sadness swept through him, for she could not realize how much she meant for this world, for him. The wonders she did impress everyone, except her. She remained as humble as on the first day they met. With his fingers, he brushed the marron strands of hair obscuring her eyes and smiled at her.

"I am not. Remember how the world was in the future you saw in Radcliffe? Remember how the sky was? We can see the beauty of it today because of you. You saved it. You saved the world. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise."

Lora sighed. She sucked in a sudden breath, lip quivering. She retreated from his touch and looked down at her shoes. 

"But what if that man was right? What if I will bring chaos to Thedas? We still don't know what Corypheus wants and how to defeat him. What if my sister and I make the wrong choices, and we end up ruining the world?"

"You will not fail," he said, and his fingers gently lifted her chin to look in her eyes. "What that mage did is not your fault. You cannot control what people do, that would make you a tyrant. And you are not one. You have shown a subtlety in your action, a wisdom that goes against everything I know. This world is safer because of your spirit. You will not fail,  _ ma Vhenan _ . Have faith in me."

She nervously smiled at him, her fingers playing with the rim of her shirt. It took her a few seconds to speak again, but when she did, the tremble of her lip disappeared, and a pink tint coloured her cheeks. She moved forward, placing her hand on top of his.

"Thank you, Solas. I needed to hear that."

His smile turned into a low hum, and he rushed to kiss her, his arms wrapping around her petite frame. As he kissed her, he noticed how perfectly she fitted in his arm, how delightful it felt to hold her against his chest. As if it was destined for him to embrace her. 

Their lips slowly danced against each other, the warmth of her breath sending shivers down his spine. She tasted of lavender and honey. She tasted of happiness and love, of regret and mistake. He deepened the kiss to silence the unwanted thoughts. 

She melted in his arms, her hands gripping his blouse, and Solas wished for time to stop, for the sky to freeze and for the sun to stay in one place for eternity. To spend his life lost in the perfume of her hair, in the taste of her lips, in the warmth of her body. A heavy sigh left his chest, and Lora broke the kiss, concern written in her eyes. 

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He chuckled, embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat. "Yes. Apologies. I lost myself for a few seconds." 

Lora opened her mouth to speak, a frown knitting her eyebrows, but Solas grabbed her arm and tugged her towards the exit. "Let us go outside. The weather is quite pleasant. A quick stroll in the garden will help you." 

She giggled and accompanied him, leaving the room arm to arm. For a few moments, happiness bonded them even tighter, a respite before the struggles that were to come.


End file.
